Crotch bearing mop



A ril 29, 1941. G. F. SCHULENBURG CROTCH BEARING MOP I Filed Jan.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRQTCH BEARING MOP George F. Schulenburg, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 3, 1939, Serial No. 249,062

6 Claims.

This invention relates to floor mops, and more particularly to what are termed self wringing mops having means for pressing out the water from the mop element through the operation of a hand lever. H

The primary object of this invention is to provide a very simple, strong and efficient mop assembly of the kind referred to, comprising a mop head supporting a rearwardly disposed, downwardly extended and rearwardly flared press plate, an elastic, resilient, absorbent and compressible mop element mounted in the mop headforwardly of the press plate, a forked shank extended rearwardly from the mop head and press plate, a handle extended angularly upward and backward from the shank, an open roller yoke embracing the mop head with the rear bar of the yoke pivotally positioned along the rear side of the mophead immediately below the forks of the said shank, an operating hand lever rigidly connected to and extended rearwardly from the said rear bar of the roller yoke the outer end of the lever being passed between the forks of the shank and disposed above the forward end of the handle, and a roller journaled upon the inturned forward ends of the roller yoke and operatively disposed along the forward side of mop head, for compressing movement down over the mop element as the hand lever is pulled outwardly from the handle.

Another object is to provide a self wringing mop comprising a handle, a shank extended forwardly from the handle, a mop head rigidly mounted transversely of the forward end of the shank, the mop head including a rearwardly disposed press plate depended along the rear side thereof, an elastic, compressible and absorbent mop element mounted along the under side of the mop head in front of the press plate, a roller yoke having a pivot rod or bar passed freely along the rear side of the mop head below the juncture of handle shank and mop head, the ends of the yoke being turned forwardly across the ends of the mop head, a roller rotatably supported between the ends of the roller yoke along the forward side of the mop head, the elastic action of the mop element serving normally to force rolleryoke and roller upward into inoperative position at the mop head, and an operating lever rigidly joined to the said pivot rod, the upward and forward movement of this lever serving to force the roller down over the mop element for compressing same back against the press plate.

Still another object is to provide in combination, an elongated mop handle, a mop head, rigidly mounted transversely at the forward end of the handle, a press plate depended along the rear side of the mop head, an elastic absorbent and compressible mop element mounted along the under side of the mop head in front of the press plate, a roller yoke embracing the mop head at its ends and along its back, the back reach of the yoke having a pivotal bearing at the juncture of handle and mop head, a press roller rotatably supported at the front of the mop head between the forwardly turned ends of the yoke, and an operating lever joined to the roller yoke and adapted on movement to force the press roller down over the mop element against the resilient action thereof, and whereby the mop element is compressed between the roller and rear press plate.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mop, the handle being partially shown.

Figure 2 is a side view of the mop, the handle being removed. In this view the normal position of the various elements is shown byfull lines, while the wringing position is shown by dotted lines, the operating lever being partly broken away in both positions.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the operating lever, fork and roller, partly being broken away to disclose details.

. With the stated objects in view, with such other advantages as may later appear, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

The invention comprises an elongated mop handle 5 at the forward end of which is rigidly mounted at 6 a forked shank I including a pair of up-curved prongs or fingers 1a which are spread out forwardly in a V formation, the extremities thereof being turned laterally out in alignment to provide ears or tabs lb,whereby the shank is welded or riveted as indicated at ID to the rear side or web I Id of an elongated, channeled mop head II which is disposed transversely of the shank.- 1

The mop head is preferably formed of a single strip of sheet metal formed to provide a longitudinally extended channel Ila defined by the down-turned forward lip or flange Ilb depended from the central portion N0 of the head, and rearwardly by the afore-mentioned, down-turned and backwardly flared'web Hd. This web lid is considerably wider than the frontal flange I lb, and thus forms and provides an outwardly or rearwardly flared press-plate, for a purpose later to be described.

Owing to the described back flare of the web or press-plate l Id to which the up-turned fingers or prongs 1a are rigidly anchored, as described above, there is formed between the fingers 1a of the shank and the press-plate Hd, at the junctures of these elements, a pair of narrow, angular crotches or Vs Ida-Mb, and which are spaced laterally apart at the medial portion of the mop head. The planes of these crotches thus cut the rear side of the mop head transversely or from upper to lower side thereof, and as thus formed and located they constitute bearing crotches for a use later to appear.

An elongated, elastic, absorbent and compressible mop element l5 (commonly of sponge rubber) is mounted permanently along the under side of the mop head I I. This mounting is readily done by compressing the upper side lfia of the element l5 within the channel Ila of the head and cementing it there in place, or it may be secured in place in any other conventional manner. In any event the upper side I 5a of the element [5 is compressed in the process of mounting same along the under side of the mop head, and thus on account of the resiliency of this element its lower side b flares or spreads outwardly, fanlike on a cross-section, as shown, and presses rearwardly against the press plate I l d. Moreover the lower or fioor contacting face of the element assumes an arcuate form in cross section as indicated at l5b An elongated, open roller yoke I! is provided, the same being formed, as herev shown of heavy rod or bar metal, and including a pivot bar or rod Ha adapted to freely pass along the rear side of the press-plate lld below the spaced fingers la and within the points of the bearing crotches The bar [la is of substantially greater length than the mop head II, and the ends [1b of the bar are turned perpendicularly to one side in a common plane and adapted to freely clear the ends of the mop head II when the yoke is positioned thereover in manner to be pointed out. The turned ends I'Ib are adapted to extend forwardly freely across the ends of the mop head, and the projecting extremities are pierced by aligned holes or bores [8 extended parallel to the pivot bar I'la.

An operating hand lever I9 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured, as indicates at 20, medially to the pivot bar Ha of the roller yoke. This lever is so joined to the yoke, that when the elements are assembled in manner to be described, the lever will extend rearwardly over the for- Ward end of the handle 5.

A press roller 22 preferably of rubber, is provided, equal in length to the mop head H, and a tube 22a is extended axially through this roller from end to end. A pair of studs 23 is provided for mounting the roller 22 in place between the ends Nb of the yoke.

In assembling the elements described, the lever I9 is passed up through the prongs 1a and the ends [lb of the yoke I! are located over the ends of the mop head ll. One end of the roller 22 is then placed inside one of the ends Ill) and a stud 23 is passed through the hole l8 into the aligned end of the tube 22a. The opposite end of the roller is then forced down inside the other end Nb of the yoke, and the other stud 23 is forced through the hole l8 thereat and into that end of the tube 22a. Thus the roller is rotatably mounted on the yoke, and is operatively supported between the turned ends Nb of the yoke I! immediately at the front of the mop head II. At the same time the pivot bar I la is freely seated within the bearing crotches l4a,l4b, and owing to the resiliency of the lower and flaring portion of the mop element l5, the roller 22 and the pivot bar Ha are forced firmly yet yieldingly upward upon the mop head, where they are held in normal inoperative position by virtue of the rod or bar Ila bearing and pressing upwardly against the under sides of the fingers or prongs 1a. The ends Ilb of the yoke I! being turned forwardly freely across the ends of the mop head, the elements are thereby effectually locked against lateral displacement.

In operation and when it is desired to squeeze water from the mop element l5, the lever I9 is pulled up from the mop handle 5 and forced forwardly, which in turn forces the roller 22 down over the mop element and forces the latter back against the press-plate I Id, thus compressin the mop element and pressing out water therefrom. In this operation the pivot rod Ila has a rotative bearing within the crotches or Vs I4a|4b as before pointed out, this rod being firmly held in place therein under the upward urge of the flaring and resilient mop element [5.

The interior diameters of the tube 22a and the holes [8 are substantially equal to the diameter of the studs 23, and it is found in practice that if the studs are then simply pushed into the ends of the tubes, the resilient pressure of the mop element will hold the elements operatively in place. However the studs may be threaded into the tube, if desired, or otherwise locked in 7 place.

While I have here shown and described certain structural features of the invention, these features may be changed in details not departing from the essence of the invention as set out in the claims.

I claim:

1. A mop assembly including a mop head, a press plate extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a handle at the rear of said mop head, means securing the handle to said head including laterally spaced members, a pivot bar disposed above the lower edge of said press plate and in pivotal bearing engagement with the under siu'faces of said members, a roller supported on said pivot bar forwardly of and in parallel relation to the press plate, a compressible mop element. carried by said head compressed along its upper portion and flaring at its lower portion relatively close to said press plate and forwardly beyond the head and beneath the roller to urge the pivot bar upwardly into the aforesaid bearing engagement with the spaced members, and means passing between said spaced members operable to turn said pivot bar to force the roller downward into compressing engagement with the mop element.

2. Amop assembly comprising a handle, a mop head mounted transversely at the forward end of the handle having an elongated press plate at the rear of the head, a compressible mop element carried by the head engaging the front of the press plate and flaring forwardly beyond the head, a bar rotatably disposed along the rear side of the press plate, a roller supported from said bar forwardly of said head above the flared portion of the mop element, means operable to turn said bar to force the roller downward.

against the flaring portion of the mop element to wring the latter, said flaring portion of the mop preventing downward displacement of the roller. I

3. A mop assembly comprising a mop head, a handle structure extending rearwardly therefrom, a downwardly and rearwardly disposed press plate on said mop head below said handle structure, a compressible mop carried by the mop head having a mopping portion disposed in front of the press plate and extending for- Wardly beyond the head, a presser structure surrounding the head including a pivot bar having bearing engagement with and located between the handle structure and press plate, a presser member on the presser structure located at the front of the head above said mopping portion, and means operable to turn the pivot bar to depress said presser member against the mop.

4. 'A mop assembly according to claim 3 wherein the last mentioned means extends through the handle structure and is movable relatively to the latter.

5. A mop assembly comprising a mop head of inverted channel shape, a handle extending rearwardly therefrom and including means providing a space relatively close to the mop head, a downwardly and rearwardly disposed flange at the rear lower edge portion of the head forming a press plate, a compressible mop having a portion compressed in the channel of the head and a mopping portion disposed in front of the press plate and flaring forwardly beyond the head, a pivot bar journaled between the press plate and the handle, a roller parallel to the pivot bar, means extending from the pivot bar mounting said roller atthe front of the mop head above the flaring mop portion, and means extending through said space operable to turn the pivot bar to depress said roller against the mop.

6. A mop assembly having a mophead, a downwardly and rearwardly extending presser plate depending from said mop head, handle means extending rearwardly from the mop head above the presser plate, a, pivot bar journaled between the handle means and pivot bar, a roller at the front of the head, means extending from the pivot bar mounting said roller, a compressible mop carried by said head having a mopping portion in front of the presser plate, the distance from the pivot bar tothe roller being less than the distance from the forward extremity of the mopping portion to the rear- Ward extremity of the press plate whereby the pivot bar and roller will be held against. displacement and the roller may be moved downward into compressing contact with the mop.

GEORGE F. SCHULENBURG. 

